Panic
by Claymate
Summary: Katie has a problem and Zack desperately wants to help. But can he get through in time? ZackKatie.
1. Default Chapter

Hi! This is my first SOR fic, and I want you to know, all flames will be used to roast marshmallows.  
  
Pairing: ZackKatie  
  
Summary: Katie has a problem, and Zack wants desperately to help her, but will he get through too late?  
  
Katie's POV Saturday. Band practice. My head's spinning, and my fingers are slipping on the cords of my guitar. Damn, another slip-up.  
  
"Okay, Katie, what's happening? That's the 7th time!" Dewey said.  
  
"Sorry, Mr. Schneebly. I'm just a little tired still. I'm sorry." I said tentatively.  
  
"No, it's okay. Everybody-take five." He said.  
  
I sat down and put my face in my hands. Then I heard footsteps and the sound of a guitar being put down. Zack sat down beside me.  
  
"Hey." He said.  
  
I sighed in response.  
  
"What's wrong? You look—sick." He finished.  
  
"I'm not sick. I'm just tired. Like I said." I said.  
  
"Maybe you should go home and lie down then." He said.  
  
"No. No, I have to stay. The band needs me. But thanks anyway." I said and stood up, which I found out later to be a HUGE mistake. (End POV.)  
  
Katie stood up pretty fast. Which later turned up to be not such a good idea. Almost a split second after she stood up, she fell-fainted. Good thing Zack was there, cause he caught here just before she hit the ground.  
  
"Oh my God, Katie!" He yelled and laid her down, and checked for a pulse...and didn't feel one.  
  
"Somebody call an ambulance!! NOW!" He shouted. Freddy hopped up from his drums to the phone in the back.  
  
"I can't find a pulse. There's no pulse, guys! Katie! Katie!!!" He shouted.  
  
Then Freddy ran back in the room.  
  
"An ambulance is on its way. What happened!?" He said.  
  
"I don't know, she just stood up, and then—passed out. I can't find a pulse!"  
  
The ambulance arrived within a matter of minutes. Katie was taken into ER, while the band waited at the hospital WR. Katie's parents were called, also.  
  
It seemed like ages for Zack, even though the procedure that was required only took about 30 minutes. He was really worried. Then he remembered something he noticed at the past few lunches. Katie had been making up excuses to get away from the cafeteria, and when she was there, she would talk all the time, as if trying to get away from having to eat. She'd been doing that for the past few weeks.  
  
He was about to say something about it, when the nurse came in. Everyone looked at her expectantly.  
  
"The procedure is finished, and Katie is..  
.  
  
Ha HA! I got you there! Don't worry, I'll put chapter 2 REALLY soon. 


	2. I Know

Okay, here's chapter two. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And, Mellow, thanks for the advice. I'll try to add more detail here.  
  
Zack's POV  
  
She was slow in my mind. Agonizing even.  
  
"Katie is going to be just fine." She said.  
  
I sighed in relief and put my head down. I felt like crying, but didn't want to make scene in front of everyone.  
  
"Can we see her?" I heard Freddy ask.  
  
"Of course, follow me." The nurse said.  
  
I stood up, but my legs felt like they would give out at any given second. Luckily, I made it to the room to find Katie in her hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. The rest of the band and her parents walked over to her and gave her separate hugs. I stood back. I felt awkward. Like it was my fault, even though I had no idea in hell what I had to do with any of this.  
  
"Zack?" Said a weak voice. I snapped out of my thoughts.  
  
"You didn't think I was gonna leave you out, did you? Get over here." Katie said. Her voice sounded so weak. Like she wasn't supposed to use it. I walked over, slowly, and gave her a light hug and a half-hearted smile. Okay, light was probably an understatement. I didn't even give her an actual hug. It was more like a brush against our two bodies. The reason for this was, it felt like if I put too much pressure on her, she'd break. She was so thin. Thinner than I've ever seen her before. (end POV).  
  
Before Zack could say anything else, the nurse came back in.  
  
"We are going to have to keep her overnight, just for precautions." She said.  
  
They knew it was almost dusk, and they'd all have to leave soon. And after about ten more minutes, they did. Except Zack. He walked over to her bedside once more.  
  
"Okay, what's going on here, Katie?" He said.  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked in the same weak voice.  
  
"What do I me-Katie, you passed out! Like out of nowhere! And I think I know why. You want to have a shot at telling me before I have to admit it for you?" He said in a demanding tone. Katie had never head Zack's voice like that before. She wasn't even sure he'd even used it up until now. So she just looked down at her hands.  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Okay. Well, here's what I think." He said in a softer, more comforting voice. He leaned really close to her ear, and said: "I think you're starving yourself." 


	3. Tears

Okay, here's chapter three! Sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long.  
  
"I think you're starving yourself."   
  
"What?! No! No, I'm not! I just—"Katie fell silent. Zack sighed again, this time so she couldn't hear it.  
  
"You just what, Katie? You just felt like you weren't good enough? For what?" He said.  
  
"No...I said I wasn't starving myself. I'm fine." She said.  
  
"I thought we got past that. I know you're Anorexic, but I need to know why. Or I can't help you."  
  
"Please, Zack!" Her voice cracked a bit, but she held back her tears.  
  
"It's okay to cry."  
  
She snapped her head up. You could clearly see she was this (-) close to tears.  
  
"I really like you, Zack. I liked you for I don't how long. I lost count of the days." She said.  
  
He blushed and looked away for a split second, before getting serious again and looking back again.  
  
"I just felt like I wasn't good enough for you." She said. And the tears finally came. Came and didn't stop for some time. Not when he shushed her, or put his arms around her and rocked her. Not when he stroked her hair and sang softly to her.  
  
The only thing that stopped them temporarily, was when a nurse came in and told Zack he had to leave. She wouldn't cry in front of her.  
  
I said temporarily.  
  
They started back up again.  
  
But only after Zack left.  
  
Okay, not the best way to end a chapter, I'll admit. But, sorry guys, I've got writer's Block.  
  
Damn writer's block!!!! 


	4. The Plan

Okay, here's chapter 4, after waiting that long, Sorry guys! I told you about the writer's block, right? Damn you, writer's block!! Anyway, on with the chapter.  
  
It'd been at least a week since Katie had gotten out of the hospital. Zack said nothing more about her...condition, but at times gave her knowing glances. He decided it had definitely gotten out of control, so he formulated a plan. He invited Katie over to his house today, and since he knew about what she was doing, she couldn't say no. He wasn't going make her eat in front of his parents if she didn't want to, but the trick was that his parents were going out that night. That was where he was going to start trying to get her to eat again.  
  
They were at band practice, which was almost over anyway. They just had, like, three minutes left. Zack got in a solo at the very end, like so many times before.  
  
He sat down his guitar, and walked over to Katie, knowing what he was about to do. Katie looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown. He put a hand on her arm, and led her to sit down at the table they had put there a few weeks before.  
  
"Okay, you ready?" He said softly. She answered with a terrified "No!"  
  
"You'll be fine. I promise. Listen, I'm not going to make you eat in front of my parents if you don't want to---"He started, but was cut off by Katie hugging him.  
  
"Oh, thank you! I don't think I could!" She said.  
  
He pulled her off him, and held her at arm's length.  
  
"But, Listen, you are going to have to work with me. My parent's are going tonight, and won't be back until late, so It'll give us the perfect opportunity." He said.  
  
That's when Dewey said It was time to go. Katie was coming home with Zack first, for obvious reasons. His dad came within Ten minutes. He'd asked him ahead of time not to ask questions, seeing as Katie was really shy, and he'd agreed, so it was a silent ride there. Zack braced himself. It was going to take some time. A lot of time, in fact. But he was ready for whatever came.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&


	5. Too Close To Death

Chapter 5 is here! Maybe this will be longer. Hopefully! Thanks bunches to everyone who reviewed!!   
  
Katie sat on Zack's bed, waiting until they had to go downstairs. Zack paced beside the bed, occasionally biting his bottom lip, a habit he'd been prone to ever since he was eight years old.  
  
"Zack, could you please stop that? You're making me nervous." Katie said.  
  
"You nervous? I'm scared to death!" He said. He stopped pacing and sat down beside her on the bed.  
  
"What you did...scared the hell out of me. That was---way too dangerous. You could have----you. Could. Have. Died." He said. Katie looked down at her lap, and tried to avoid Zack's eyes. Everyone knew that if you looked in to those brown eyes for too long, you wouldn't be able to pull away. It's like, they put a spell on you, or something.  
  
"Katie, look at me." He demanded.  
  
She slowly turned her head to face him.  
  
"I really want to help you. I can't help feeling as if this was completely, totally my fault."  
  
"Oh—No! No, it wasn't your fault at all! Why would you say that?" She said.  
  
"Well, you said...you didn't think you were good enough for me when you were at the hospital. Which isn't true, by the way!"  
  
"I'm sorry. I just, thought I could get away with it without anyone noticing. Especially you."  
  
"Oh my—Katie! Is that really what you wanted?! Think about it! No one there to help, and eventually, you'd get so sick, you'd either have to be hospitalized for God knows how long, or die!"  
  
Tears were now flowing freely down Katie's face.  
  
[Great job Zack, you made her cry.] He thought.  
  
Katie tried to wipe her tears away out of guilt when she heard Zack sigh.  
  
He was about to say something else, an apology, when, as if on cue, his mother called them downstairs.  
  
Katie looked at him nervously, then watched as Zack stand up and offer her his hand.  
  



End file.
